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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28175946">Gwaine Wins, Arthur Loses</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/auspicious_dragon/pseuds/auspicious_dragon'>auspicious_dragon</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Merlin (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Developing Relationship, Emotional Hurt, M/M, Past Relationship(s), Romance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 20:14:47</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,793</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28175946</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/auspicious_dragon/pseuds/auspicious_dragon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur leaves Merlin and marries Mithian.  What happens afterwards.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gwaine/Merlin (Merlin), Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Mithian/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), merwaine</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>96</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Gwaine Wins, Arthur Loses</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Merlin didn’t think the day could get any worse.  That morning he woke up late and had to skip breakfast and rush to work.  When he got to the bank, his boss yelled at him for being fifteen minutes late.  After that it was a hellish day—the computers went down for a couple of hours and the customers were frustrated and irate.</p><p>He was relieved when the workday was finally over and he arrived home.  He picked up his mail and went up to his apartment.  Merlin looked at the fancy envelope and tore it open.  He read the invitation and his eyes welled up with tears.  It was an invitation to Arthur’s and Mithian’s wedding.  Merlin fell onto the sofa and started to sob.</p><p>Arthur had broken up with Merlin about three months ago.  The past three months had been the worst months of Merlin’s life.  Arthur had left him completely bereft.  Arthur said that he couldn’t handle being in a gay relationship—he couldn’t handle his family’s disapproval or the societal stigma.  He said that of course he loved Merlin, but love really didn’t conquer all.  Merlin couldn’t understand how Arthur could believe that.  He tried desperately to change Arthur’s mind but eventually had to give up.  Arthur was determined to end the relationship and break Merlin’s heart.</p><p>Merlin lay on the sofa crying for over an hour.  When the phone rang, he was pretty much cried out and so he answered it.  It was his friend Lance who assumed he had received the invitation and was calling to check on him.  Lance was always looking out for Merlin.</p><p>“You OK, buddy?” Lance asked.</p><p>“Not really,” Merlin admitted.  “I just cried for over an hour.”</p><p>“I’ll be right over,” Lance said.</p><p>Lance came over and did his best to comfort Merlin.  He hugged him and told him he was a strong person and everything was gonna be OK.  Merlin didn’t really believe him, but he appreciated that Lance cared about him so much. </p><p>“Of course I’m not going to the wedding,” Merlin told Lance.  “It would hurt too much.  I’d just cry the whole time.”</p><p>Lance agreed with Merlin’s decision.  The next day Merlin RSVP’d with his regrets, even though he had no regrets about declining the invitation.</p><p>*****</p><p>Arthur was upset when he found out that Merlin would not be attending the wedding.</p><p>“He’s my oldest friend!” Arthur exclaimed.  “How can he refuse to come?”</p><p>Arthur’s half-sister Morgana railed at him. “How can you be so fucking selfish and cruel, you idiot?  Merlin’s been in love with you since high school, God only knows why.  You were partners for over a year and then you ditched him because you’re a fucking coward.  And you expect him to come to your fucking wedding?  Do you have any idea how painful that would be for him?  I knew you were an idiot, but I had no idea how fucking clueless you really are.”  She stormed out after dropping all those f-bombs.</p><p>Even though Arthur knew deep down that Morgana was right, he was still hurt that Merlin had declined the invitation.  And he was used to Merlin prioritizing Arthur’s needs before his own.  So he tried to enlist the help of their mutual friends to convince Merlin to attend the wedding.  Their friends all refused to help Arthur.  They all gave Arthur the same message—leave Merlin alone and don’t cause him any more pain than you already have.</p><p>*****</p><p>Merlin was out of commission for about a week.  He called in sick every day that week, saying that he had come down with the flu.  He spent most days lying in bed, crying off and on and eating junk food when he got hungry.  At the end of the week he decided that he was done feeling sorry for himself and it was time to get back to living his life.  He was determined not to be defeated by Arthur’s marriage to Mithian.  He was determined to get over Arthur once and for all.</p><p>Merlin told his friends that he didn’t want to hear any news about Arthur.  They were not allowed to say Arthur’s name in his presence.  If they wanted to talk about Arthur, they could do so when Merlin wasn’t around.  He rid his apartment of any and all reminders of Arthur.  All photographs of Arthur, any presents he had received from Arthur, any items they had purchased together—everything went into the trash.  He completely purged his home of everything associated with Arthur Pendragon, and he felt relieved.</p><p>Merlin started doing things that he had denied himself when he was with Arthur.  He started going out to gay clubs on the weekend, and he would cruise hot guys and flirt with strangers.  Occasionally he would hook up with a cute guy and bring him home or go to the guy’s place.  Even though the one-night-stands weren’t particularly satisfying to Merlin, at least he was deriving some sexual pleasure from them.  He knew that ultimately he wanted to be in a long-term relationship, but he realized that it might take him some time before he was ready for that.  Besides he’d have to meet Mr. Right, and who knew when that might happen.</p><p>After a couple of months Merlin decided to get his MBA degree.  He had been working at the bank as a customer service rep for two years now and was eligible for tuition assistance.  An MBA could lead to a promotion at the bank, or maybe he could find a more prestigious job at another company.  He enrolled in an MBA program for working adults that offered evening classes.   When he started the program, he found that he liked being back in the classroom.  The course material was stimulating, and he enjoyed interacting with his classmates.</p><p>Eventually Merlin settled into a new routine.  He went to class two evenings a week, and after class he would often go out for a drink with several classmates.  He started making new friends, getting especially close to a classmate named Mordred, who Merlin suspected was also gay.  Merlin enjoyed talking to Mordred about literature, art, and music.  In time they started getting together not only after class but also on weekends, visiting bookstores, museums, and art galleries.  </p><p>After Merlin and Mordred came out to each other, they would sometimes go to gay clubs together to drink and cruise guys.  There was some attraction between them, but neither man was ready to act on it.  Merlin was reluctant to cross that boundary with Mordred lest it ruin a promising friendship.</p><p>That was just as well because one Friday night when Merlin went by himself to a club, a hunky guy approached him and said, “Hey, beautiful, would you like to dance?”</p><p>Merlin stared at the stunning man with his thick mane of luxurious chestnut-colored hair, beautiful brown bedroom eyes, and a gym bod to die for, and replied, “Of course. I would love to dance with you.”</p><p>That exchange hailed the beginning of Merlin’s and Gwaine’s torrid romance.  For Gwaine it was love at first sight.  He spied the tall raven-haired beauty across the room and was drawn to him like a needle to a magnet.  When he saw Merlin’s brilliant blue eyes and heard his soft, low voice he was transfixed.  Merlin was immediately attracted to Gwaine, feeling the pull of his animal magnetism, which was impossible for Merlin to resist. </p><p>Merlin knew right away that he’d be going home with Gwaine that night.  Gwaine knew it too.  At the club they danced, kissed, and talked, and about an hour after they met, Gwaine asked, “Come to my place?”</p><p>“Definitely,” Merlin replied, after which they left the bar and took a cab to Gwaine’s luxurious apartment.</p><p>They spent the entire weekend together.  The sex was amazing.  Both men were astonished by how well their bodies worked together, how easily and naturally they were able to satisfy each other’s sexual needs.  But they did not just have sex multiple times, they made passionate love to each other—it was simultaneously hot, exciting, and tender.  Neither man had ever felt so loved before by another man.  </p><p>Merlin and Gwaine were not only sexually compatible, they were also mentally and emotionally compatible.   Gwaine was a high-powered executive at a large software company and was knowledgeable about almost everything Merlin was interested in.  He had a Master’s degree in Computer Science and an MBA, and turned out to be the most well-read person that Merlin had ever met.   When Gwaine learned that Merlin had just started working on his MBA, he encouraged him to stick with it and suggested career options to consider. </p><p>When they weren’t making love that weekend, they talked about everything--their personal histories, jobs, families, friends, and interests.  Gwaine made breakfast and lunch for them, and they went out to dinner.  They watched Netflix movies in the evening and made love again after that.  Merlin realized that it had been a long time since he had felt so comfortable with a person he had just met.  Merlin could tell that Gwaine had a heart of gold.  </p><p>When Sunday evening rolled around, Merlin told Gwaine that he had better head back to his own apartment because he had to be at work bright and early Monday morning and all his work clothes were at his apartment.  They made plans to get together again on Tuesday evening after work.  Their goodbye kiss was passionate and long.</p><p>After leaving Gwaine’s apartment, Merlin checked his phone for the first time since Friday night.  He had been so preoccupied with Gwaine that he hadn’t given a thought to texts, email, or voicemail all weekend.  He saw that he had a slew of texts, email messages, and voicemail messages from Arthur.  He deleted them all without reading or listening to them. He then took public transportation back to his own place.</p><p>When Merlin got close to his apartment building, he froze.  Arthur was standing outside.  When Merlin started breathing again, he steeled himself and walked to the front steps. </p><p>“What are you doing here?” he asked Arthur.</p><p>“Where the hell have you been?” Arthur shouted. “I’ve been calling you all weekend.  I’ve been worried sick.”</p><p>Merlin refused to answer Arthur’s question, and repeated his own.  “What are you doing here, Arthur?”</p><p>“Didn’t you hear me?” Arthur exclaimed, obviously exasperated. “Where were you?”</p><p>“I don’t answer to you, Arthur,” Merlin said evenly.</p><p>“So you’re not going to tell me,” Arthur huffed.</p><p>“I was at a friend’s place,” Merlin said.  “Not that it’s any of your business,” he added.</p><p>“I was worried,” Arthur said, quieter now.</p><p>“Go home, Arthur,” Merlin said in an exasperated tone.  “I’m not happy to see you.”</p><p>“I got that,” Arthur replied, rolling his eyes.</p><p>“I’m going in now,” Merlin announced.  “You can relax now that you know I’m not dead.”</p><p>“Fuck you,” Arthur said.</p><p>“You can’t anymore,” Merlin sneered, pulling out his key and unlocking the outer door to his apartment building.  He closed the door behind him and left Arthur standing outside.</p><p>As soon as he entered his apartment, he sat down on his sofa, closed his eyes, and proceeded to take deep diaphragmatic breaths to calm himself down.  He sat there breathing for a good fifteen minutes. Once he felt relaxed, he decided to give Lance a call.  He told Lance about Arthur waiting outside his apartment. “I swear,” Merlin said, “if he pulls anything like that again, I’m gonna file a restraining order against him.”</p><p>Lance was more sympathetic towards Arthur.  “He was worried about you, Merlin. He called everyone to see if anyone knew where you were.  Nobody knew and you weren’t answering your phone.  That worried him.”</p><p>“Fuck him, Lance,” Merlin shouted. “He doesn’t get to worry about me anymore.  I want him out of my life for good.  I never want to see him, hear from him, or hear about him ever again.  He’s dead to me.  You can tell him that if you want.”</p><p>Lance sighed.  “OK, Merlin.  It’s your life.”</p><p>*****</p><p>Merlin and Gwaine were soon spending a lot of their free time together.  Initially Merlin would stay over at Gwaine’s place on Friday and Saturday nights.  On weekends they might go out dancing, or to a concert or a show, returning to Gwaine’s luxury apartment for a night of passion.   Eventually Gwaine suggested that Merlin bring some clothes over so he wouldn’t have to rush back to his own apartment so often.  Gwaine generously offered Merlin a lot of drawer and closet space for his things.  </p><p>Pretty soon Merlin was staying at Gwaine’s every night except for Wednesdays and Thursdays when he went to class.  Gwaine was the first one to say “I love you.” It had taken him less than a month from the day he met Merlin to get to that point.  Merlin took a little longer to get there, being more cautious after Arthur had hurt him so badly.  But he did get there eventually and, when he could no longer deny his feelings for Gwaine, Merlin professed his love for him without hesitation.</p><p>*****</p><p>While Gwaine’s and Merlin’s romance was in full swing, Arthur and Mithian were adjusting to married life.  Although Arthur was not exactly unhappy about his decision to marry Mithian, there was a nagging discomfort in the back of his mind that had to do with Merlin.  Arthur and Merlin met when they were 16 years old and over the years had grown to love each other.  Arthur assumed that Merlin would always be in his life.  He knew that Merlin was in love with him, and he often took advantage of Merlin’s love for him.  At times Arthur admitted that he was in love with Merlin too, but he couldn’t give himself up to it entirely.  He couldn’t picture himself in a long-term same-sex relationship.  The censure of his family and society in general frightened him too much.</p><p>Their last interaction troubled him greatly.  Merlin’s words echoed in his ears: “I’m not happy to see you.” “I don’t answer to you, Arthur.” “It’s none of your business.” “You can relax now that you know I’m not dead.”  </p><p>Merlin was so angry with him.  Would he ever get over it?  And what was worse was what Lance told him.  Merlin didn’t want anything to do with Arthur and said Arthur was dead to him.  That hurt more than anything.  He felt like part of his soul was gone.  And he couldn’t talk to anyone about it.  Either they wouldn’t understand, or they would tell him that Merlin was protecting himself because Arthur hurt him so badly.   Arthur understood that and felt guilty about it, but he also believed that he didn’t have a choice.  It was his duty to marry a woman and, even though he wasn't in love with Mithian, he was fond of her.</p><p>Arthur tried hard not to think about Merlin, but his mind kept going back to the times they had spent together.  Merlin had been his most loyal friend starting in their junior year of high school, all the way through the day Arthur broke up with him.  Merlin had been generous to a fault, giving Arthur his mind, his heart, and eventually his body.  He never held anything back from Arthur.  Arthur was well aware that he took everything Merlin had to offer, all the while knowing that he could never fully commit to their relationship.  And when he selfishly took what Merlin offered, he fully understood that he would end up making a choice that would devastate his best friend, the man who loved him more than anyone ever had before.</p><p>Although Arthur understood that he had hurt Merlin terribly, he still harbored hope that someday they would reconcile.  Surely Merlin couldn’t stay mad at him forever.  Surely Merlin would heal and get over their breakup.  Surely Merlin would forgive Arthur for marrying Mithian and understand why he had to do it,  Merlin had always forgiven Arthur in the past whenever Arthur did something hurtful.  Arthur would wear Merlin down, that’s what he would do.  He would call him and write to him.  He might even try to visit him again.  Merlin wouldn't really file a restraining order, even though he told Lance he would--Merlin didn't mean it; he was just venting. </p><p>*****</p><p>When Merlin started getting emails from Arthur, he arranged for them to go automatically to his spam folder.  He had no interest in hearing or reading anything Arthur had to say.  He was aware that what he was feeling wasn’t exactly anger anymore.  It was a hard feeling to describe.  Merlin was refusing to be hurt by the person who had caused him more emotional pain than he had ever felt before.  He would not allow that person to get close enough to hurt him again.  And he would do whatever it took to keep that person away from him.  He thought again about a restraining order but decided to take that step only if Arthur were to come in person again.   Besides his lease would be up soon, and then he would move in with Gwaine.</p><p>In the next couple of months, Merlin and Gwaine met each other’s friends.  Merlin introduced Gwaine to Mordred, Lance, Lance’s girlfriend Gwen, and Merlin’s old friend Will.  Merlin’s friends were impressed by Gwaine and pleased to see how happy Merlin was.  They could tell how well Merlin and Gwaine got along, and how much they loved each other.   </p><p>Gwaine introduced Merlin to his friends Percival, Elyan and Leon.  The five men went out clubbing together and had a fantastic time, drinking and dancing through the night.  Merlin was touched by how welcoming Gwaine’s friends were to him and how pleased they were that Gwaine was finally in a serious relationship.  </p><p>“We’ve been trying to find him a partner for years now and failed,” Percival said.  “He finally found the right guy all by himself.  I’m delighted that you two are together.”</p><p>“Me too,” Merlin replied.  “I’m so lucky to have met Gwaine.  I fell for him right away.”</p><p>When Merlin’s lease expired, he moved in with Gwaine.  It was a smooth transition for both of them.  Merlin had been staying over so frequently that it really didn’t feel much different than before.  Gwaine’s luxury apartment had three bedrooms—enough space for three or four people to live comfortably, so it was more than adequate for Gwaine and Merlin.  They shared the master bedroom and the other two bedrooms served as a study and an exercise room.   </p><p>Gwaine and Merlin were both so amiable that they rarely argued.  If they disagreed about something, one of them would make a conciliatory or humorous remark to ease the tension.  Merlin felt happier and more content with Gwaine than he ever had with Arthur.  With Arthur he had always been aware, at least to some degree, that his lover wasn’t fully invested.  Not so with Gwaine.  He knew that Gwaine loved him wholeheartedly and was thoroughly committed to him and to the relationship.  Gwaine made him feel completely secure. </p><p>*****</p><p>Arthur didn’t react well when Lance told him about Merlin’s and Gwaine’s relationship.  Lance had described Gwaine as a handsome, wealthy executive who lived in a luxury apartment, and informed Arthur that Merlin had moved in with him.  Lance also said that Gwaine and Merlin seemed very much in love.  Arthur knew he should be happy for Merlin, but he wasn’t. </p><p>It bothered him.  It bothered him a lot.  How could Merlin be in love with someone else?  Why did he have to find out about Merlin’s life from Lance?  How did he not even know that Merlin had moved out of the apartment they had shared?  Arthur was hurt, angry, and frustrated.  He couldn’t stop thinking about Merlin and his new relationship.   He knew that Merlin was mad at him, but did Merlin really not love him anymore?  Merlin’s love had been a constant in Arthur’s life for almost a decade.  He couldn’t imagine Merlin not loving him.  </p><p>Arthur decided that he would try to talk to Merlin again.  He took a half day off work on a Tuesday afternoon and headed to the bank where Merlin worked.  When he got there, he approached the receptionist and said, “I’m here to see Merlin Emrys.”  The receptionist assumed that Arthur was a customer who had worked with Merlin before.</p><p>She invited Arthur to have a seat, then called Merlin and told him there was a customer waiting for him in the reception area.  When Merlin arrived at the reception area, Arthur stood up and started walking toward him.  But Merlin turned around and walked away.</p><p>Arthur started to call to him, “Merlin, don’t walk away from me.  Please.  We have to talk.”</p><p>He saw Merlin approach a security guard and say something to him.  Then the security guard walked over to Arthur and said, “Sir, you have to leave the premises now.  Please don’t make a scene.”  Feeling completely defeated, Arthur left the bank.  He decided, however, that he would wait outside until Merlin got off work.  Merlin wouldn’t be able to get rid of him so easily when they were out in public.  So Arthur hung around outside the bank entrance until closing time. </p><p>Right before closing time a very handsome guy in an expensive suit came and stood by the bank entrance about ten feet away from Arthur.  The man acknowledged Arthur with a nod.  Arthur nodded back.  Eventually the bank employees started to stream out of the bank, the security guard ensuring that the doors to the bank remained locked as the employees exited.</p><p>When Merlin came out of the bank, Arthur was about to approach him, but then Merlin ran up to the handsome guy in the suit, grabbing him in a bear hug and kissing him passionately.  He heard Merlin exclaim, “Gwaine, I wasn’t expecting you!”  And he heard the man reply, “I’m taking my gorgeous husband out to dinner, cariad.  It’s exactly three weeks since we got married.”</p><p>Despite a sinking feeling in his gut, Arthur still felt desperate and determined to talk to Merlin.  So he called to him, “Merlin, please.”</p><p>Merlin then noticed him for the first time since he had exited the bank.  He frowned and shook his head, not believing that Arthur could be that brazen.  “Get lost, Arthur.  Don’t bother me anymore.”</p><p>And turning toward Gwaine, Merlin said, “That’s the loser I told you about.  Now let’s get out of here.”</p><p>At that moment Arthur realized that he had lost Merlin forever, and he began to cry harder than he had ever cried before.</p><p>Fin</p>
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